Saw a Drunk driver on the road today.

The Jammy dodger

He was swerving all over the road and really really off his head. There were two of them in the car. In my car was my mam, dad, wife and baby son.

My dad stayed well behind but we were all shouting for him to pull in. Car was too far away to catch its licence plate and I could not figure out what type of car it was. It pulled off into some place I don't know the name of. All this irritated me to no end not knowing any of this info because I really wanted to ring the guards.

After all the warnings. After all the television adverts and bad examples of driving we have been shown. After seeing all those families lives ruined and destroyed over the years, we STILL have MUPPETS like this on the road.

And all of it happened at 2pm much when people are travelling to other peoples houses to celebrate the Christmas dinner.

Shocking and disturbing.

seven_eleven

and you didnt ring the guards?

Ando's Saggy Bottom

At least you did the right thing and found out the name of the road he pulled into and rang the Guards and gave them a description of the car.

Oh wait..

Tom_Cruise

Its Christmas day, give the drink drivers a break.

Max Power

Who celebrates the Christmas dinner?

Our man in Havana

Tom_Cruise wrote: »

Its Christmas day, give the drink drivers a break.

And it is no wonder the country is in the mess it is in with an attitude like that.

Stercus Accidit

Pete Campbell wrote: »

At least you did the right thing and found out the name of the road he pulled into and rang the Guards and gave them a description of the car.

Oh wait..

Thanks Captain Hindsight.

Ando's Saggy Bottom

Stercus Accidit wrote: »

Thanks Captain Hindsight.

Not really one of those times you should need the benefit of hindsight to know whats the right thing to do though is it?

The Jammy dodger

Pete Campbell wrote: »

At least you did the right thing and found out the name of the road he pulled into and rang the Guards and gave them a description of the car.

Oh wait..

It pulled off down a country road. I havnt a clue where it was. Anyway guards should have been on that road. Its a day drunk drivers abuse because there is a lack of policing on the roads this day. These fellas always take the ''back'' roads so guards should know that drunk drivers are already inclined to take this route to avoid being caught. They are less likely to take to the motorway.

Anyway really mad I couldn't get any info to report them.

The car was a northen reg but thats all I know really. Useless info for the guards.

Ando's Saggy Bottom

The Jammy dodger wrote: »

It pulled off down a country road. I havnt a clue where it was. Anyway guards should have been on that road. Its a day drunk drivers abuse because there is a lack of policing on the roads this day. These fellas always take the ''back'' roads so guards should know that drunk drivers are already inclined to take this route to avoid being caught. They are less likely to take to the motorway.

Anyway really mad I couldn't get any info to report them.

The car was a northen reg but thats all I know really. Useless info for the guards.

Surely you could tell the Guards the general area, the colour/tyoe of car and how many were in it, it'd be something to go on? They might spot it pulled into a house?

You're on here whinging that the Guards should be out patrolling an obscure road that you yourself seem completely unable to even describe, yet when you have the chance to help them out you choose to do nothing.

Well done. You're probably only moaning on here because Joe Duffy is on his holidays.

mikemac1

The Jammy dodger wrote: »

Anyway guards should have been on that road.

Gardaí hanging around country roads in the middle of nowhere. An area so remote you didn't even know where you were


It would be great to have a garda on every boreen and street corner but what you are asking is unrealistic

Oregano_State

The Jammy dodger wrote: »

It pulled off down a country road. I havnt a clue where it was. Anyway guards should have been on that road. Its a day drunk drivers abuse because there is a lack of policing on the roads this day. These fellas always take the ''back'' roads so guards should know that drunk drivers are already inclined to take this route to avoid being caught. They are less likely to take to the motorway.

Anyway really mad I couldn't get any info to report them.

The car was a northen reg but thats all I know really. Useless info for the guards.

Yeah the Guards should have checkpoints up on every back arsé country road in the middle of nowhere on Christmas day. That makes all the sense.

3ndahalfof6

Of course it could never of been a **** car.

The Jammy dodger

Pete Campbell wrote: »

Surely you could tell the Guards the general area, the colour/tyoe of car and how many were in it, it'd be something to go on? They might spot it pulled into a house?

You're on here whinging that the Guards should be out patrolling an obscure road that you yourself seem completely unable to even describe, yet when you have the chance to help them out you choose to do nothing.

Well done. You're probably only moaning on here because Joe Duffy is on his holidays.

Ok so here is the coversation:

Jammy: Saw a drunk driver on the road but don't know the reg, and don't know the road he turned off on. I am on such and such a road.

Guard: ok thats helpful isn't it?

Jammy: Well the car was silver, there were two in the car and it was a northen reg.

Guard: Oh right I see, so we don't know what road they turned off on, have no clue what the reg is, but we know the car is silver and has a northen reg with two people in it, hmmm thats a lot to go on considering there are a lot of silver northen reg cars on the road with two people in it:rolleyes:

DEFTLEFTHAND

I collected a friend from a pub in Knock (a backwater in north Tipperary) one night. The road out from Roscrea is a bog road, the clown in front of me was swerving all over the place, when I blew the horn and flashed the lights the muppet pulled over thinking I was the cops. I stopped and told him to leave the car and that I'd drop him home, he refused this suggestion. I probably should have informed the law.

girl in the striped socks

How do you know the driver was drunk?

TheBully

ah so what! i drink drive all the time

Tails142

How do you know it was a drunken driver? Might have just been a woman driving

mikemac1

Probably the local postman

It's one of his only days off and according to the tipping thread in After Hours they get a years supply of spirits this time of year

This also explains how he knows the back roads OP!

EMTFlynn

Here's how i would do it.

I was driving on this road, a car in front of me with a northern reg/ silver in colour was in front of me and driving out of control. There were two people in this car.

They turned left/right of this road, i'm not sure of the name of it.

Who knows other people could have rang the guards too about this car.

keith16

The Jammy dodger wrote: »

He was swerving all over the road and really really off his head. There were two of them in the car. In my car was my mam, dad, wife and baby son.

My dad stayed well behind but we were all shouting for him to pull in. Car was too far away to catch its licence plate and I could not figure out what type of car it was. It pulled off into some place I don't know the name of. All this irritated me to no end not knowing any of this info because I really wanted to ring the guards.

After all the warnings. After all the television adverts and bad examples of driving we have been shown. After seeing all those families lives ruined and destroyed over the years, we STILL have MUPPETS like this on the road.

And all of it happened at 2pm much when people are travelling to other peoples houses to celebrate the Christmas dinner.

Shocking and disturbing.

You could tell there was two people in the car but couldn't get the reg?

jenniferalan

Could have rang Traffic Watch I reported a dangerous driver a few years ago he was swerving on the n6 in and out of hard shoulder and over the white line...very scary to see. Dont know if it was drink driving but I reported reg and traffic watch wanted me to give statement but I couldn't as I was going to work. Afaik they sent out a car in same direction and a note was made on file or whatever way they do it. I was glad I reported it, driver appeared to be quite elderly and it was a busy friday afternoon

Ando's Saggy Bottom

The Jammy dodger wrote: »

Ok so here is the coversation:

Jammy: Saw a drunk driver on the road but don't know the reg, and don't know the road he turned off on. I am on such and such a road.

Guard: ok thats helpful isn't it?

Jammy: Well the car was silver, there were two in the car and it was a northen reg.

Guard: Oh right I see, so we don't know what road they turned off on, have no clue what the reg is, but we know the car is silver and has a northen reg with two people in it, hmmm thats a lot to go on considering there are a lot of silver northen reg cars on the road with two people in it:rolleyes:

Maybe your info would have been useful, maybe it wouldn't. Thats for the Guards to decide. For all you know you weren't the only person to see them and ring in and even knowing their general whereabouts coulf have been important. Maybe they were fleeing a house robbery or a hit and run and even knowing the general direction they were headed might have been helpful. There are lots of possibilities but the bottom line us you were not the right person to decide how relevant or not your info was. Worst case scenario the Guard telks you theres nowt he can do. Hardly the end of the world is it? Best case scenario you help save someones life on Christmas day. Lots to gain. Little to lose.

You should have rang them . Instead you came onto boards moaning about it. Well played.

The Jammy dodger

Pete Campbell wrote: »

Maybe your info would have been useful, maybe it wouldn't. Thats for the Guards to decide. For all you know you weren't the only person to see them and ring in and even knowing their general whereabouts coulf have been important. Maybe they were fleeing a house robbery or a hit and run and even knowing the general direction they were headed might have been helpful. There are lots of possibilities but the bottom line us you were not the right person to decide how relevant or not your info was. Worst case scenario the Guard telks you theres nowt he can do. Hardly the end of the world is it? Best case scenario you help save someones life on Christmas day. Lots to gain. Little to lose.

You should have rang them . Instead you came onto boards moaning about it. Well played.

Yes you are right, I should have rang them. My dad was urging me not to giving all the excuses I gave you, and was being a real pain so under that pressure I cracked I guess.

Agree with the other posters. You should have at least rung the guards, OP.

OldmanMondeo

Got behind a drunk driver before, quick blast from behind to get the reg and then backed off. Rang guards, gave them my number and followed the car flashing on coming drivers to warn them. Gaurd's rang me back, got my location and arrested the drunk. This was at 8am on a Saturday morning.

I was late to where I needed to be, but I was happy to know no one was killed because of that drunk bitch.

The Jammy dodger

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

Got behind a drunk driver before, quick blast from behind to get the reg and then backed off. Rang guards, gave them my number and followed the car flashing on coming drivers to warn them. Gaurd's rang me back, got my location and arrested the drunk. This was at 8am on a Saturday morning.

I was late to where I needed to be, but I was happy to know no one was killed because of that drunk bitch.

Yeah my dad stayed far behind him. I was thinking of asking him to move forward to get the reg like you did, but I have a little 20month old baby in the car and I couldn't do that. I mean this car was unpredictable and seriously bad.

Anyway in future I will ring no matter what small info I have.

monkeypants

The Jammy dodger wrote: »

I was thinking of asking him to move forward to get the reg like you did

Steady on there, Batman!

DanWall

If you ring the guards you will get done for using your phone while driving

Our man in Havana

I don't think so.

Red Pepper

This story seems made up.
It could happen but I think too many holes here.

LiffeyValleyB

DanWall wrote: »

If you ring the guards you will get done for using your phone while driving

That's 100% bullsh1t. I was actually pulled in for using my mobile to call the gardai (reporting a dog running around on a 120km/h motorway) they had received the report from the station and let me off actually thanking me for reporting it.

Edit - afaik you can be legally be on the mobile phone to any AGS/ambulance/fire brigade/etc while driving.

Fighting Irish

Our man in Havana wrote: »

And it is no wonder the country is in the mess it is in with an attitude like that.

lol get a sense of humour

Our man in Havana

no

MikeD22

Anytime i have ever had to call the gardai i used the 112 number on my mobile. when i ask for the gardai they ask do i want to be connected to Kilkenny garda station,where i'm from,.....now how did they know i was there even though i never gave them that information? Can they track the call to a general location?

I once followed a drunk driver, at least seemed drunk from his driving, and i reported it. This was in Athy, 20 mins away from where i was going. the man nearly hit a number of cars. He turned of in Athy up some street i didn't know the name of, but the garda i spoke to knew the area and thanked me for the info. Good deed done for that day.

Another incident in Kilkenny was with a taxi driver, same story swerving around road. i also reported it. i actually had to break the speed limit in the city to keep up with him but i'm glad i reported it. the Gardai can't stop crime if no one tells them it's going on.

All well and good complaining on here about things like this but you didn't try and put a stop to it. i don't know if either of the above drivers were caught but that's not my thing to worry about, they certainly wouldn't have been caught had i not reported them. i could have just let them away while shaking my fist at them with a dissaproving look on my face...

Ghost Train

He was swerving all over the road and really really off his head

what a Turkey

When I was younger, I used to be a competitive cyclist and every Sunday morning we'd have training along country roads. The biggest concern that we had was that there might be people out driving, still drunk from the previous night.

Two nights ago a guy in Galway got his legs seriously injured by an apparent drunk driver (choosing my words carefully as I'm not 100% sure about the details).

This country seriously needs to readjust its views towards drink driving, especially in the countryside.

Fighting Irish

Our man in Havana wrote: »

no

:rolleyes:

Max Power

Fighting Irish wrote: »

lol get a sense of humour

Some people were just born without one.

SuperGrover

The car was too far ahead for you to see the reg but you were all shouting at it from inside your car?

Quite often the drivers who are "chancing it" are easier to spot than those who are really drunk and don't care any more.

I was working one new years day a couple of years ago and the number of drivers I saw "driving to rule" was quite worrying, sticking to the speed limit, early indicating etc, just like they would drive for the test!

Driver sticking to the rules on a near empty road are sitting ducks for any cop who wants to "pull" a few!

DanWall

They will stop me then because I am taking no chances since getting 2 points for going slightly over the speed limit

saiint

so
you could see how many people where in the car
but couldnt read the licence plate?

you have a special type of vision :L
cause i find it harder to tell how many people are in a car then read a plate

Biggins

Tom_Cruise wrote: »

Its Christmas day, give the drink drivers a break.

To be fair - we can give drivers a break - but the drunk ones? No.
Many lives have been lost around Christmas times because of them, causing further pain for years to come to family/friends with every next Christmas time.

Drivers in Ireland DO deserve a break for many reasons, be it tax, insurance, etc - but as regards drunk ones behind a wheel?
They deserve to be at least off the road while intoxicated.

Dartz

Our man in Havana wrote: »

And it is no wonder the country is in the mess it is in

A minor digression.

But I am so sick of seeing this phrase used right now that I think it should be a corollary to Godwins Law or something.

Accuse someone of being the reason the country's in the mess it's, loose the argument immediately.

Dartz

Dartz wrote: »

A minor digression.

But I am so sick of seeing this phrase used right now that I think it should be a corollary to Godwins Law or something.

Accuse someone of being the reason the country's in the mess it's, loose the argument immediately.

+1

The attitude of a minority towards the law is hard coded into some people, regardless of the "new normal" or otherwise. They would most likely have had the same attitudes during the Celtic Tiger bubble years.

Slim_Bob

The Jammy dodger wrote: »

He was swerving all over the road and really really off his head. There were two of them in the car. In my car was my mam, dad, wife and baby son.

My dad stayed well behind but we were all shouting for him to pull in. Car was too far away to catch its licence plate and I could not figure out what type of car it was. It pulled off into some place I don't know the name of. All this irritated me to no end not knowing any of this info because I really wanted to ring the guards.

After all the warnings. After all the television adverts and bad examples of driving we have been shown. After seeing all those families lives ruined and destroyed over the years, we STILL have MUPPETS like this on the road.

And all of it happened at 2pm much when people are travelling to other peoples houses to celebrate the Christmas dinner.

Shocking and disturbing.

Suspect is hatless, repeat, hatless.

OldmanMondeo

The Jammy dodger wrote: »

Yeah my dad stayed far behind him. I was thinking of asking him to move forward to get the reg like you did, but I have a little 20month old baby in the car and I couldn't do that. I mean this car was unpredictable and seriously bad.

Anyway in future I will ring no matter what small info I have.

My wife was pregnant in the car, that's why I caught up and then pulled back ASAP.

McCrack

OP you saw a drunk driver on Christmas Day and you found it "shocking and disturbing".

Really now there are far more "shocking and disturbing" things that happen around the place and the world. I really wouldn't consider a pissed driver to be in any way shocking.

M cebee

mikemac1 wrote: »

Probably the local postman

It's one of his only days off and according to the tipping thread in After Hours they get a years supply of spirits this time of year

This also explains how he knows the back roads OP!

our local postmen don't need any drink to drive like that
-pure headers on the road

Son Of A Vidic

seven_eleven wrote: »

and you didnt ring the guards?

I wouldn't worry about the OP not ringing the guards. Since in all likelihood the alleged incident probably never happened. I'm also getting a strong sense of Deja Vu about this thread.